Practice is what we do to build our awareness and realize peace, happiness, joy, freedom and equanimity. The three steps in this division are Skillful Effort, Skillful Mindfulness and Skillful Concentration.
The Four Foundations of Mindfulness 3 10 2021
This series of dharma talks explores the Satipatthana Sutta, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. In this series, the basic text is the The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana, Wisdom Publications, 2012. Other references include: The Four Foundations of Mindfulness by Venerable U Silananda, Wisdom Publications, 2002, Satipatthana: The Direct Path to Realization by Analayo, Windhorse Publications, 2003, Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening by Joseph Goldstein, Sounds True, 2013, The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism by Robert E. Buswell Jr.and Donald S. Lopez Jr.. (Princeton University Press.)
Robert Hodge
The Practice of Mindfulness Meditation
This series explores mindfulness meditation: what it is, what are the benefits and how to practice. Robert Hodge and Laura Good
The Practice of Mindfulness A Guide
Mindfulness is a term in common use today. What does it mean? How is it practiced? What are the benefits? What are the obstacles? This guide was developed by White Hall Meditation to give you the information and tools to practice mindfulness according to the Buddha’s teachings. Most of the information is derived from three of his most noted teachings: the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion), the Satipatthana Sutta (The Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness) and the Anapanasati Sutta (Mindfulness of Breathing).
Robert Hodge
A Monk’s Guide to Happiness Series 9 2000
This series was inspired by Gelong Thubten’s book, A Monk’s Guide to Happiness, which offers insights in the Tibetan tradition on meditation, compassion and forgiveness. Gelong Thubten is a Buddhist monk, meditation teacher and author from the UK. Thubten was educated at Oxford University, and then became an actor, in London and New York. He ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk in 1993 at Kagyu Samye Ling Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in Scotland and has trained there under some of the world’s most accomplished teachers of meditation.
Engaged Buddhism 2020
This talk was inspired by a talk Bhikkhu Bodhi gave on July 15, 2020 at an Insight Meditation Community of Charlotte (IMCC) session. What does engaged Buddhism mean? What are four major issues facing the world today and how can we look at these through the lens of the Buddha Dharma (teachings)? What can we do to address these problems?
Robert Hodge
Two Sorts of Thinking
Sometimes when we wake up in the morning, we are in a bad mood. Nothing seems to be going right; we feel frustrated, dissatisfied and perhaps angry with life. This not only affects our outlook at the moment, but we fear that the mood will continue for the rest of the day. We might ask ourselves, “Why couldn’t I wake up to a better mood?” rather than “What can I do about the mood that I am experiencing?” Moods are states of mind. The dictionary actually defines mood as a temporary state of mind. However, when we are in a bad mood it doesn’t seem temporary! The Buddha pondered states of mind and shared his experience with his monks in a teaching called the Dvedhāvitakka Sutta translated as Two Sorts of Thinking.
Robert Hodge
You Have Just Been Criticized What Next 9 9 2020
Imagine that you are working with someone on a project and they say to you, “You are doing a great job, but.” You interpret the first part of the sentence as praise and now are awaiting what comes after the “but.” In this scenario, there is the anticipation of criticism. Whereas praise is easily accepted, what is perceived as criticism is usually not. This talk addresses how we can deal with praise and criticism by exploring three of the Buddha’s teachings.
Robert Hodge
The Role of the Teacher in Spiritual Practice I & II
One of the three refuges (gems), the Teacher is an important element of the spiritual path.
Laura Good, Robert Hodge
The Role of the Sangha in Spiritual Practice
One of the three refuges (gems), the Sangha is an important element of the spiritual path that provides support for the other elements (meditation, reflection, daily life practice and teacher).
Robert Hodge
Aging Peacefully
From the moment that we are conceived, the body ages. Aging is not confined to the elderly; it is happening as you are reading this.
- Understand the Buddha’s relevant teachings about aging and suffering
- Understand how the Eightfold Path can give us insights and a practice for aging peacefully.
- Reflect on the negative and positive aspects of aging in a different context.
- Be able to say yes to all aspects of aging.
Robert Hodge
